Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1887-02-25
EUGENA'S EXPERIENCE
by LILY CURRY.

By 1 UER
I Yves visiting my Aunt Eugenia Black
ford-at her W request, she being lonely
since Duval, her only child, had married
and zone to a home of his owp. My aunt,
though many years q widow, was by no
means elderly; possessing a goodly in
ON she maintained a charming apart
ment near the Park, entertained delight
fully, and enjoyed innumerable friendships.
There were the Fields, the Frosts, the Pei
ham De Veres, tho Graeme-W estwaters,
aud "many others" as the society papers
say. And the ladies Of these families were
all my cunts every dear friends"
1 was thinking about it one day and
wondering which was the dearest, when
nv aunt hustled me- to my room to dress
for some matinee performance. And the
thought so occupied me that 1 made slow
Roadway. Indeed, l wasn't half ready
when she sent the maid to say "Come."
The maid must have reported very faith
fully; for presently along came my aunt
herself and peeped in. 1 was putting
powder on tho tip of my nose. The keen
October air is very trying on compilations.
aNow this is too bad! Whatin the world
have you been doing? We shall miss the
first act!" She was really quite yexed.
Istrucls one Of mJ cousin Duval's atti-
tudcs, as { best remembered them, and
stroye to make myself very fierce.
II won't be scoldcd, Aunt Eugenia, and
I won't be hurried. And I'll just go home
tonight, if you say a word"
So my aunt subsidized, and I fattered
myself it must have seemed pleasantly
natural-as il dear Duval were with her
once again.
"Well. do come, that's a good girl" she
pleaded. meekly. "Do come, Jeanie."
l was her nalmesake, and she didn't care
to let me return to my aun or the other
side Of the house, with whom l made my
home i'll the country, and this other aunt's
grim husband. my guardian.
More explicitly, 1 had been q fortnight
at my Aunt Eugenia's, when n afternoon
she became vexed at me and went off in o
huff without me to somebody's afternoon
tea. I, too, was out of sorts, and sat
moodily scowling Mt the crate fire in the
pretty drawing-room, When two callers
were announced. One of them was Mrs.
Graeme- Westwater. She was a funny
woman, one of the funniest 1 thought I
had ever seen. Rich, handsome, looked
up to by some with genuine awe, yet ex-
ceedingly odd. For example, if anything
on tho table pleased her particularly when
she vas iunching or dining at the house Of
a friond, she would take it home with her
under her cloak or in her muff. Once,
when she was bidding my aun geod-by, a
lot of cold chicken fell to the floor from
undor her opera cloak. Indeed, she was
quite odd. The lady who accompanied
her was a friend from Boston, Mrs. For
sythe Daveney. My aunt had met her,
but I, as yet, had only known her name.
She was particularly gracious to me, how
ever, and I couldn't help liking her. I
didn't like Mrs. Greene Westwater very
much. Every time I looked at her the
thought of the cold chicken made me
laugh.
Mrs. DaYeney was so very gracious
toward me that l, in turn, couldn't help
trying TO please. I waived all ceremony
and rang for tea to be served.
We we're slipping it and chatting cozily
enough tsave. of course, that I man
aged to keep an eye on Mrs.
Graeme- Westwater md see to it that she
didn't carry off all the waters of which she
wa 80 fond) when suddenly my aunt re-
turned and walked in upon us. My own
opinion was that her conscience had given
her q twinge for leaving me at home. Per-
sonaliy I am very plump and blonde and
presentabie-so all the gentlemen say
and my aunt always lad q crowd about her
when she took me any where. However,
Mrs. Graeme- Westwater had so much to
say to my aunt that Mrs. Daveney and I
were left to ourselves. -.s
When the ladies departed I told my
aunt I had promised Mrs. Dayeney to spend
the following afternoon with her at her
hotel.
"What made you say Tomorrow" my
aunt asked. complainingly. al can't go
with you. I've an engagement"
ooh. it won't make any difference" /
answered. cheerfully. "Iknew you were
going out tomorrow, and I didn't want to
stay here alone and be stupid"
This was my sweet revenge on her for
having left me home rom the "tea."
Well, to hurry or with my confession,
I kept any. engagement, of course, with
Mrs. Daveney. and a very delightful per-
son I found her at her hotel. 1 discovered
that she was interested in a lot of things
that I intended to investigate when I came
of age and controlled my own affairs.
Women suffrage" was one thing. Mrs.
Daveney was also very literary. She had